Thursday, March 12, 2015

Cauliflower Crust Pizza.

Last week, I was craving pizza, but wanted to try the lower carb version with cauliflower crust. I looked through what felt like a million recipes and finally decided on one from The Lucky Penny. While no, it does not taste exactly like regular pizza, Cameron and I both enjoyed it and I will definitely make again!

Grain-Free Cauliflower Crust Pizza

makes one approx. 10-12 inch pizza

1 small to medium sized head of cauliflower - should yield 2 to 3 cups once processed1/4 teaspoon kosher salt1/2 teaspoon dried basil (crush it even more between your fingers)1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (crust it even more between you fingers)1/2 teaspoon garlic powderoptional a few shakes of crushed red pepper1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese1/4 cup mozzarella cheese I used dairy free cheese, just for kicks.1 eggoptional 1 tablespoon almond meal

Desired amount of sauce, cheese for topping, and other toppings. Make your own 30 minute pizza sauce using my recipe!

Place a pizza stone in the oven, or baking sheet if you don't have a pizza stone. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. On a cutting board, place a large piece of parchment paper and spray it with nonstick cooking oil. Wash and thoroughly dry a small head of cauliflower. Don't get one the size of your head unless you are planning on making 2 pizzas. Cut off the florets, you don't need much stem. Just stick with the florets. Pulse in your food processor for about 30 seconds, until you get powdery snow like cauliflower. See above photo. You should end up with 2 to 3 cups cauliflower "snow". Place the cauliflower in a microwave safe bowl and cover. Microwave for 4 minutes. Dump cooked cauliflower onto a clean tea towel and allow to cool for a bit before attempting the next step.Once cauliflower is cool enough to handle, wrap it up in the dish towel and wring the heck out of it. You want to squeeze out as much water as possible. This will ensure you get a chewy pizza like crust instead of a crumbly mess. Dumped cauliflower into a bowl. Now add 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon dried basil (crush up the leaves even more between your fingers before adding), 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (crush up the leaves even more between your fingers before adding), 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (not garlic salt), and a dash of red pepper if you want. I also added 1 tablespoon almond meal because my cauliflower yielded closer to 2 cups of cauli snow, this is optional and I would not add the almond meal if you have closer to 3 cups of cauli snow. Now add your egg and mix away. Hands tend to work best.

Once mixed together, use your hands to form the dough into a crust on your oiled parchment paper. Pat it down thoroughly, you want it nice and tightly formed together. Don't make it too thick or thin either.

Using a cutting board slide the parchment paper onto your hot pizza stone or baking sheet in the oven. Bake for 8 - 11 minutes, until it starts to turn golden brown. Remove from oven.

Add however much sauce, cheese, and toppings you want. I'm not gonna give you measurements for this. You know how you like your pizza - so go for it! Slide parchment with topped pizza back in the hot oven and cook for another 5 to 7 minutes until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and slightly golden.

Test your patience and allow it to cool for a minute or two. Probably closer to two. Then using a pizza cutter and a spatula serve up your delicious grain-free cauliflower crust pizza!Update - If you are using a larger sized cauliflower, up the eggs to 1 egg plus 1 egg white. You want your "dough" to be sticky. When I make a bigger sized pizza (using more cauliflower) I up the seasonings and the egg, but often leave the amount of cheese the same. Make sure you pat the dough tightly together when forming your crust. It really helps to place the crust (on an oiled sheet of parchment paper) on a HOT pizza stone or baking sheet. Make sure the crust is golden in color before topping it and baking it again. I truly believe cooking it the proper length before topping it helps keep the crust together. Also I really like the addition of 1 to 2 tablespoons of almond meal to the crust mixture.

*Disclaimer - the slices will still be kinda floppy, but they shouldn't be crumbly.

Looks really good! Ive wanted to try the cauliflower pizza before but have heard it's kinda difficult to get it not watery. But that was just from one friend who tried it. I'll remember your recipe whenever I get around to making this!

I've been intrigued by cauliflower crusts, but haven't tried it yet. I'm kind of on the if I want pizza I want pizza kind of mentality. I've used a portobella mushroom before. Thanks for sharing this recipe!